<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Chronos Contract (Re) by CloudyLightning</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25435528">The Chronos Contract (Re)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloudyLightning/pseuds/CloudyLightning'>CloudyLightning</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Tales of Xillia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>I kidnapped Jude and stowed him away in Elympios, Multi, gave him the Kresnik brothers, somehow Xillia 1 happened without Jude</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:00:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>18,826</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25435528</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloudyLightning/pseuds/CloudyLightning</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jude, a smart sixteen year old boy, was an everyday, normal (or not so normal) home-schooled kid; born and raised in Elympios. Things got a bit strange when someone randomly gave him a ticket for a ten o'clock train that took him to places he'd never thought he'd go. -An AU where Jude wasn't born in Reize Maxia- (Rewrite of Chronos Contract)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Youngest Brother?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Balan was exhausted. As the head director and researcher of the Origin Project, he barely had any breaks. He worked from sunrise to sunset every day of the week, well, except Sundays. He never expected his workload to suddenly increase when the Schism between Rieze Maxia and Elympios dispelled a year ago. In fact, how he managed to become the lead spyrite researcher was a bit beyond him. While he had gotten the credit, he still a felt a little guilty for placing his name on a theory he only helped compose.</p><p>He looked over to his preoccupied desk behind him to see a young, sixteen year old teen lazily spinning a pen in his pale hand. His slightly messy raven hair partially covered the honey golden eyes as the teen stared out of the closest window. He wasn't dressed as a fellow researcher; a white button down shirt with a black jacket rolled up to the elbows, a pair of slightly faded jeans and sneakers were too casual for the uniform. It was an interesting combination to see the teen wearing a watch on one wrist and a multi-colored bracelet on the other.</p><p>The bracelet itself was a little odd. Its seemingly shining glass beads were strung together and clasped with a single cluster of clock gears. It was almost as if the teen wore two watches instead.</p><p>Balan smiled, half out of pride and some sort of contentment. The theory Balan introduced to the government was almost completely composed by the teen sitting at his desk. It started off as an off handed comment and it was quickly made into a theory that sat in the back burner for years.</p><p>It wasn't until the Schism broke did it spur the teen to completely finalize it. Balan wanted him to be part of the research team (he seriously couldn't pass up the opportunity to give the teen a full scholarship), but he was immediately shot down. The only reason the teen was at his desk was simply because he wasn't allowed to be left alone for longer than a couple hours.</p><p>Balan blinked for a moment when he reminded himself of an upcoming meeting. With a quick glance at the clock, he kicked himself into gear with a slight grimace on his face. Fifteen minutes was not very long to prepare. He picked up a file and shoved a couple others to the side. The yellow sticky note on one of the files nearly fluttered off, but he was quick to grab a piece of tape and reattach it to a file. He hadn't had the chance to look into it yet.</p><p>His sudden shuffling around the office had snapped the teen out of his daydreaming, who turned to watch him with curiosity. "Balan? Is something wrong?"</p><p>He tucked another file under his arm and shook his head, "Nothing's wrong, Jude. It's just a meeting." He suddenly paused when a thought came to him, "Wait, actually that might be a slight problem."</p><p>Jude only tilted his head, looking at him owlishly. Balan's eyebrows creased as he took one good at the teen. He seemed to holding himself well, if he ignored how Jude seemed to favor his left side a bit and his hands trembled faintly. It was one of those days.</p><p>"…This meeting might take a while, so I won't be here when Ludger comes to pick you up. Can you handle yourself until he comes?" Balan asked. Jude nodded as he picked up the math workbook in front of him with a smile.</p><p>"Yup! I finished the lesson Julius-nii gave me today, but I can always check it over again. So, don't worry about me," he said. Balan gave him a look before he plucked the book out of his hands. The teen froze for a split second and panicked. "Hey! Give it back—"</p><p>Balan didn't give him the chance to get it back as he held the workbook far out of reach. In all honesty, he didn't really believe that Jude had already finished his homework. As he flipped to the page marker, he was greeted with more than just finished work.</p><p>The borders of the page were covered with penned vines, complete with detailed flowers and tomatoes of all shapes and sizes. He almost spluttered when he caught chibi versions of Jude's brothers either holding tomatoes or the answer boxes. He even spotted a familiar round figure of a fat cat chewing on a tomato. There was even a chibi version of the artist himself cheering, "All finished!" at the bottom of the homework.</p><p>Despite the wonderful drawings scattered about the page, Balan took a few moments to quickly calculate the problems (how this teen did differential equations at his age would never cease to amaze him). He was half surprised that Jude had managed to figure them out correctly. With a small shake of his head, Balan snapped the workbook closed and handed it back to a guilty Jude.</p><p>"Jude, you are an amazing kid and a great artist," he began, but quickly gave the teen a pointed look, "But there is a limit when it comes to drawing. It's not a very good habit to draw on literally every singe page and space."</p><p>Jude smiled sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head, "Julius-nii says the same thing…"</p><p>"With good reason," Balan agreed. He took a quick glance at the clock and blanched - just a little bit. "I have to go - Just remember to keep your GHS near you, okay? Ludger should be coming soon."</p><p>Jude patted the pocket of his jacket and gave an easy wave of his hand, "Gotcha! I'll see you around, then!"</p><p>Balan threw a relieved smile at him and returned the gesture with a wave of his own before he scampered out of his office.</p><p>Jude sat there for a moment and waited for the hurried footsteps to fade off. Once he was sure no one else would come in, he jumped out of his seat and walked around to stretch his cramping legs. He honestly hadn't meant to sit there for a long while, but he didn't want to bother Balan as he worked. The stack of paperwork that sat around the office only seemed to grow every time Jude "visited". He knew that paperwork was a monster that haunted everyone that had an office.</p><p>Speaking of paperwork, an innocent file with a yellow sticky note caught his eye and distracted him. Without much of a thought, Jude strode over to it peered at the words written on it.</p><p>
  <em>"Balan, take a look at this. It's the 'Spirit Artes' research you asked for.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>-Maki"</em>
</p><p>Curiosity nipped at him and Jude placed a finger to his head as he thought. He heard of Spirit Artes, an ability that Rieze Maxians inherently have, but he didn't understand why Balan would need something like that. If he remembered correctly, Balan was trying to figure out a replacement for Spyrix. Maybe the Spirit Artes could be a small hint for channeling mana?</p><p>Jude almost reached for the file but stopped when his GHS suddenly rang. He tore his eyes away from it and quickly dug in his jacket pocket to answer, "Hello? Ludger-nii?"</p><p>
  <em>"Hey, Jude! It's Alvin. Sorry, not your brother. Ludger was about to pick you up, but he had to do some last minute shopping - something about dinner - but, he promised to meet you at home though. I'm here at the front."</em>
</p><p>Jude hummed in understanding and nodded, "Okay, that's fine. I'll be down in a bit. I'm in Balan's office."</p><p>He hung up soon after Alvin gave a quick "I'll be waiting" and grabbed his shoulder bag. He slipped his workbook into it and paused at the door. His gaze lingered on the file for a moment. Balan had never actually shown him the research that had been done in the Origin Project and only gave him a few details here and there.</p><p>Jude could understand the researcher's lack of information towards him. He wasn't actually involved - even though he was the one to come up with the theory and solidify it into a plan. Besides, Balan was just his neighbor that offered to take care of him and he had a lot on his plate with the Project. Jude didn't want to impose any further than he already had.</p><p>He shook his head and left the office as he shoved his curiosity to the back of his mind. In a matter of minutes, Jude showed himself out of the large research building with ease. He had been here so many times that he nearly knew it like the back of his hand.</p><p>He spotted a brown haired man and hurried over with a bright smile, "Hey, Alvin!"</p><p>The man dressed in a slightly informal business attire looked up from his GHS with a grin of his own. He casually slung an arm over the teen's shoulders, "Hey, Jude! Still bright and peppy as always, I see."</p><p>Jude laughed as his hair was ruffled and slipped out of Alvin's hold in a second, "How was work?"</p><p>"Ehh, well, it's been a little shaky, but we're getting there," Alvin said, turning on his heel for Jude to follow, "What about you? I know being holed up in Balan's office isn't all that fun."</p><p>"Hey, Balan's just doing his best!" Jude huffed, then easily launched into an easy chatter about anything and everything. Alvin nodded along and added in his own tidbits to keep their conversation going. It was a pretty usual routine for them to fall into.</p><p>At first, Jude only heard of Alvin as Alfred Vint Svent, the missing cousin of Balan's until recently. When he finally met the man by complete accident, Jude didn't expect to become friends with a person who had a hand in dispelling the Schism. In fact, Alvin offered to watch over Jude if Balan gotten too busy with a few things.</p><p>Alvin had his hands full with his merchant business, but he always managed to find some time to spend with Jude. To be honest, Jude enjoyed listening to the older man tell him stories of his adventures outside of Elympios, and the friends he made. Sometimes, Jude could hardly believe that Alvin had traveled with The Maxwell - well, according to the Rieze Maxians.</p><p>It took a bit of a while to get back to Trigleph, since they had to take a train to get there, but Alvin was pretty good company and he learned the ins and outs when it came to Jude. He kept his pace slow and always walked near the teen. He also learned to watch for certain signs, but Jude was very good in hiding those things. On the train, Alvin sat beside him since Jude's voice could barely be heard over the train.</p><p>"—I'm not too sure about how it really is going, but I know that the spyrite research is almost complete. Well, kind of. I mean, the research building is amazing and all, but I'm not really allowed to stray far from Balan's office or go to the higher floors. That's where all of the big projects are," Jude lamented. They arrived at Trigleph and made their way to Jude's apartment, passing the enormous building of the Spirius Corporation.</p><p>"Well, you are a little kid. Can't have them running around unattended, you know?" Alvin said (and continued on even as Jude quipped, "I'm sixteen!"), "Besides, when you get older, then maybe your big wall of a brother will let you join Balan."</p><p>Jude pressed his lips together and shook his head, "My brother is not a big wall. He's just concerned."</p><p>Alvin gave him a look that clearly said that he didn't believe him. He almost moved to say something until a new voice joined them.</p><p>"I'm a big wall?" Jude easily recognized the voice and spun on his heel with a smile. There, standing with a paper bag of groceries in his arms, was one of his older brothers. The man's white hair had a section of his bangs dyed in black and caring azure eyes that had a ring of yellow in his iris. He was dressed pretty casually, if not a little formal with that blue dress shirt, brown suspenders and a yellow necktie. It honestly looked like the man had just finished his errands and on his way home.</p><p>"Hey, Ludger," Alvin greeted with an easy wave, "How's the job hunting coming along?"</p><p>"Ludger-nii!" Jude greeted as he easily stepped away from Alvin and gave him a quick side hug.</p><p>"It's something alright." His brother smiled a little bit before looking over to Alvin with slight confusion, "What's this about a big wall?"</p><p>Jude took the moment to cut in as he looked up to Ludger, "You're not a big wall, nii-san. If anything, you're like a fence I can easily climb over."</p><p>"Hah?!" The face on Ludger's face was almost priceless with the mixture of disbelief and confusion mixed together, "And <em>that's</em> supposed to be assuring?"</p><p>"Well, would you rather be a cat post?" Jude joked. Alvin burst out in laughter in the background as Ludger ruffled Jude's hair in response.</p><p>"Alright, enough of your snarky jokes, Jude," he said with light amusement, and turned to Alvin, "Thanks for picking him up for me last minute. I really appreciate it."</p><p>"Thank you!" Jude echoed.</p><p>Alvin nodded and placed a hand on his hip, "Of course, no problem. I was around the area anyway. The kid's fun to be with."</p><p>They all shared a short laugh before the brothers disappeared toward the Residential Quarter, heading towards their apartment. Alvin stood there for a moment before turning on his heel with a slight frown on his face, "When he gets a little older, huh…?"</p><p>._._._._._._.</p><p>"Lulu!" Jude cried as he spotted his favorite fat ball of grey and white dozing on the floor. He dropped his bag in a chair at the dining table and proceeded to scoop the cat into his arms as he plopped on the couch. Ludger watched with amusement as the cat yowled in protest and placed the groceries on the table. While his little brother was busy with Lulu, he took a quick peek into Jude's bag and pulled out the only workbook inside.</p><p>He forced himself to stifle a laugh when he flipped to the page marker. All the little drawings that littered the page was certainly a sight to see. Vaguely, Ludger wondered if Julius would bother to scold him again, but at this point, it seemed a little redundant. Jude never did stop himself from doodling on every page. Ludger always let it pass because it was something that Jude enjoyed doing.</p><p>He looked up to see Lulu squirming in Jude's arms. If Jude was happy, then he was happy, too. Closing the book, he gravitated over to the kitchen and called over his shoulder, "Want to help me with a little late lunch, Juu?"</p><p>He heard his brother scramble off of the couch and Lulu plopping on the carpet floor with a cheery, "Yes!"</p><p>Within a good amount of time, they had a steaming pot of mabo curry (with a healthy dose of tomatoes, of course) sitting on the set dining table. Ludger generously filled two matching bowls with many faces of Lulu painted along the rims. As odd as it sounded, the bowls were custom painted by none other than Jude. Of course, both Ludger and Julius didn't mind. They liked their customized set of Lulu dishes and it added a bit of a personalized touch in their house.</p><p>"How was your day, Ludger-nii?" Jude asked half-way through his bowl. Ludger shrugged his shoulders.</p><p>"It was alright. I checked in with Spirius to make sure I got all the applications filled out. Also got that back-up job as a chief," he said. There was a slight frown on his face, but it was quickly dropped for a smile. "How was yours?"</p><p>"It was okay. Balan was pretty busy today, so I just sat in his office all morning," Jude answered. He glanced at the clock and seemed to debate over something. Ludger waited patiently and ate at his curry until his brother finally spoke up.</p><p>"…You know, since it's early, and you're here," Jude began hesitantly, "I was thinking we could probably do something together?"</p><p>Ludger already knew what Jude implied, and hummed, "Sure, what do you have in mind?"</p><p>Jude bit his lip and tried again, "Actually, I was hoping that you could, you know, train with me? I haven't practiced for a while now."</p><p>"How about a game of chess?" Ludger asked. While he would love to train with him, Ludger could see the tell-tale signs of Jude's exhaustion with the stiff movements and slow blinks. It almost twisted in Ludger's gut when Jude sighed, and reminded himself that it kept Jude from straining himself too much.</p><p>"Again? We just had a couple games yesterday."</p><p>"Exercising the mind is good for you."</p><p>The smile came back on his face just as quick as it fell, "…Never mind, I'll just stick to the other workbooks for that!"</p><p>They shared a moment of laughter to ease the slight tension they had with each other and finished their lunch in a comfortable silence. Jude excused himself from the kitchen after he set aside a wrapped bowl of mabo curry in the fridge and played with Lulu to pass the time.</p><p>Ludger busied himself with cleaning up the kitchen and hummed a melody he grew up with. He could hear Jude humming it along in the background, and it made him smile. Both of them had learned the melody through Julius, but there was never any lyrics added to it. Only Jude added a few of his own and it always changed every time.</p><p>Ludger was just about done with the dishes when he heard Jude call out to him, "Hey, Nii-san?"</p><p>Ludger gave a curious hum of acknowledgement at his nickname and looked over his shoulder to encourage Jude to go on. His brother didn't hesitate to sit back down at the dining table before continuing.</p><p>"Why can't I go to school? I mean, I don't mind being homeschooled and all, but - wouldn't it be a little easier for me to go? I know Julius-nii has work, and you're getting a job very soon. Balan has been pretty busy, and Alvin has his own matters. I'm also getting old enough to learn how to manage myself on my own."</p><p>Ludger dried his hands as he turned to face Jude.</p><p>It was true.</p><p>Jude was pretty much old enough to manage by himself. Not only that, Jude's condition had improved over the years. In all honesty, Ludger had no idea why Julius had been so adamant about Jude staying home. Since Julius was the oldest of them all, they didn't question his decisions often.</p><p>"Well, you're right about being old enough," Ludger started, "but I'm not sure if Onii-san would allow it. I honestly thought it was because your illness, but now that I think about it…"</p><p>Ludger took a moment to really look at Jude. The teen's complexion was still pale, if not a little too much (but that was a given since he barely stayed under the sun for long), and he was thin. Not paper thin, but thin enough to cause some concern. Jude had a healthy diet of eating, but there were days he couldn't stomach anything. He sat up properly, but Ludger could see the slight slouch in his posture that favored his left. The white jagged scar that peeked under Jude's shirt was pretty noticeable if he moved a certain way. There were more, but Ludger was just happy that the teen didn't have any scars that couldn't be covered with clothing.</p><p>"…You are generally healthy enough to go to school. It's been ten years. That, and the fact that you've been training under Onii-san for self-defense for a few years proves a lot," Ludger concluded. It was funny how Julius was against teaching Jude to fight out of complete concern of his health, but once Jude turned ten, it changed his mind completely. Monsters were always a good motivation to know some sort of self-defense.</p><p>Ludger placed a hand on his hip and shifted his weight to the other leg with an uneasy smile, "But even if you go to school now, you'd probably a little too far ahead for kids your age."</p><p>Jude shrugged his shoulders, "It can't be that bad, can it? I mean, I'm only sixteen doing a bunch of workbooks."</p><p>"Jude, I'm twenty years old, and I can't even do half the stuff in those books," Ludger deadpanned. The teen gave a sheepish laugh before scratching his cheek in slight embarrassment.</p><p>"Yeah, you got a point there…" Jude said as he got up. Lulu trotted up to him and meowed loudly until the teen picked her up. He didn't look up as he hugged their fat cat to his chest, "Maybe staying home isn't so bad."</p><p>._._._._._.</p><p>Ludger looked up from the T.V. when he heard the front door open. There, entering the house, was his older brother, Julius. The eldest Kresnik ran a hand through his messy, short brown hair and his blue eyes were tired, but there was a relieved smile on his face.</p><p>"Welcome home, Onii-san," Ludger quietly greeted from his place on the couch. Julius responded with the customary "I'm home" with a quick wave of his gloved hand.</p><p>"What have you been up to?" he asked as he set his bag to the side and hung his coat.</p><p>"Just watching a bit of news," Ludger answered as he waved vaguely to the shared bedroom behind him, "Juu and I were watching cartoons until he fell asleep."</p><p>Julius nodded to himself as he peeked into Ludger's shared room. The lamp in the room provided enough light to see their youngest member of their family. Jude was curled up in one of the beds pushed up against the wall with Lulu half laying on his neck. Julius wasn't surprised to see a book slowly slipping off the edge. He quietly stepped in and saved the book, placing it on the night stand. His bother didn't stir as he pulled the blankets over him. With gentle pat on Jude's arm, Julius turned off the lamp and left the room, closing the door with a soft thump.</p><p>On the dining table, he spotted Jude's math workbook and the answer key waiting patiently for him. He grabbed them and took note of the tabs sticking out of the pages. With a heavy sigh, he sank into the couch next to Ludger.</p><p>"Busy day?" Ludger asked, but he already knew the answer.</p><p>"Pretty much," Julius said vaguely and quickly changed the subject, "What time did Juu fall asleep?"</p><p>"Uhm, not that long ago - couldn't be more than an hour, though. He said he wanted to wait for you, but he has been pretty tired lately. Not sure why, though."</p><p>Julius hummed as he flipped open the workbook. The amount of drawings that filled each and every page made his eye twitch, but the most recent page made him scowl, "…He's never going to stop, is he?"</p><p>Ludger didn't even have to spare him a glance to know what his brother meant. Instead, he shrugged with an easy smile on his face, "This <em>is</em> Jude we're talking about."</p><p>"Right," Julius begrudging agreed and checked over the answers anyway, "He hasn't skipped out on any of the medications, right?"</p><p>"Not any that I'm aware of. It might just be one of those days again," Ludger said. The concern was clear in his voice, but he didn't show it much. Over the years, the brothers had learned not to panic over the smallest signs. They took note of it, and kept a closer eye on Jude just in case something did happen, but it had been pretty unusual lately. In fact, Jude had been spacey for several months, hence the reason why the brothers hadn't allowed him to really train for a long while. Ludger just hoped that Jude would still retain that muscle memory when they got back into it for him.</p><p>He got up from his seat and slipped into the kitchen to heat up Julius's missed dinner. By the time it was ready, Julius placed the answer key in the workbook with a proud smile before relocating to the dining room.</p><p>"Let me guess," Ludger began, "he got it all right?"</p><p>Julius only gave him one look after a bite of his curry, and that was all the answers Ludger needed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is a rewritten work of "The Chronos Contract". There's no need to read the original if you don't want to. There are a lot of changes from that one. It took me a while to rewrite the chapters, and I was trapped in Fire Emblem for a while, but I'm slowing working back into finishing this by chapter by chapter over time. So, updates will take a while as I'm doing the same for all of my stories. I'll be leaving the original version of Chronos Contract up so you can see the comparisons if you like.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Dumplings?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Gaius Dumplings.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The early morning felt like a lull for Jude. It was a little difficult to breathe with the odd ache in his chest, but it didn't pain him enough to actively show it. Slow and even breaths made it easier. In his head, he practically felt like he swam between sleep and wakefulness, and he didn't know which way to go. All there was were the sounds of Julius clattering about in the kitchen and the muted noises of the world outside the windows. The eldest Kresnik busied himself with fixing a small pot of tea for the two of them. He hummed a familiar tune.</p><p>After listening to Julius hum the same melody for the umpteenth time, Jude focused his gaze on Lulu. Their cat lounged lazily on the floor.</p><p>"Lulu's fat," Jude stated rather bluntly. The white and grey cat rolled to her paws and meowed offensively at the teen with a flick of her tail. Well, someone was cranky.</p><p>"I guess that means it's back to cat food for her," Julius said as he poured the water into a pair of mugs.</p><p>Jude blinked at him and deadpanned, "Well, someone needs to stop sneaking her food."</p><p>The sugar pot's lid slipped out of Julius's hand and it was almost funny to watch Julius scramble to save it. He caught it before it reached the floor, and looked at everything but Jude as he went back to the tea, "Hm."</p><p>Shaking his head at his brother, Jude shifted in his chair at the table. He was dead tired. Even though he had the full eight hours and then some, it certainly didn't feel like it. He tapped the butt of his pencil repeatedly on his unfinished math problem (it was some sort of consistency that helped him stay aware of his surroundings). He would've had a head start on it yesterday, but he took the time to teach Ludger how to do differential equations. To be honest, it took Ludger so long to understand what Jude practically laid out for him, it kind of hurt. Then again, his brother had been busy with job applications lately.</p><p>Speaking of Ludger, Jude glanced at the clock on the wall with a slight frown, "Ludger-nii's not up yet."</p><p>Julius didn't answer as he placed a steaming cup of tea in front of Jude and stepped back into the kitchen.</p><p>"Isn't he going to be taking that exam thing today?" Jude pressed, raising an eyebrow at the lack of response he got from his brother, "He's going to be late at this rate."</p><p>"He might cut it close, but let him rest. He needs all the strength he can get today," came Julius's response, "The exam isn't something anyone can just breeze right though."</p><p>Jude hummed to show that he heard, but that didn't necessarily mean that he agreed with him. Ludger had been aiming for that job for quite some time now, and Julius only recently allowed him to apply for it. Then again, Ludger wasn't old enough until this year, so Jude didn't really find it too odd.</p><p>He rested his head on his propped hand and blankly settled his stare on his cup of untouched tea. He didn't notice that the pencil slipped from his grip as he closed his eyes for a second. He was exhausted already, and it wasn't even eight in the morning.</p><p>"Juu, are you alright?" Julius asked, "You're a little quiet this morning."</p><p>Jude opened his eyes and offered a grin as he reached for his tea, "I'm fine."</p><p>The look in Julius's eye automatically said that he didn't believe Jude in the slightest. While he didn't like the answer, Julius took it. He rejoined his little brother at the table with a bottle Jude despised with a passion, and a tablespoon.</p><p>"Now, Ludger and I will be out for a few hours," he began as he poured a spoonful of clear liquid, "so, you're going to be home alone with Lulu. I'd let you go over to Balan's, but you know how work is for him. You can take the day off from any assignments, maybe watch a few cartoons that are on - but you should rest for today, alright?"</p><p>Jude eyed the spoon with a grimace, "Sure, okay - but I'm not taking that."</p><p>His older brother sighed and moved the spoon a little closer to Jude.</p><p>"Jude, we've been over this - several times, actually - but this is something you shouldn't be skipping," Julius told him firmly.</p><p>"I haven't had an episode for a year now. I don't need this one," Jude insisted, leaning away from the spoon as it inched closer to him.</p><p>"Jude, it's either this or the needle."</p><p>"…"</p><p>"I might not find your vein."</p><p>With that, Jude dropped his jaw and allowed his brother to stick the spoon in his mouth. He would've argued further, but he absolutely hated needles—especially with Julius handling them. His brother never had steady hands for it like Ludger. Giving up was his best option… for now.</p><p>It tasted sickeningly sweet and incredibly bitter at the same time, and it made him gag before he could swallow it. His face quickly turned sour and stuck out his tongue. He never bothered to hide how much he hated the thing.</p><p>"There. That wasn't so bad now, was it?" came Julius's voice. He had a half smile on his face, but Jude could tell that he wasn't very happy about it either.</p><p>He sipped at his tea to get rid of the terrible taste in in his mouth before he rasped, "Says you…!"</p><p>Despite it all, his older brother still ruffled his messy hair; a habit that Julius picked up to comfort him. And, just like that, Jude didn't mind it at all.</p><p>._._._._._._.</p><p>Julius left before eight and Ludger still hadn't gotten up. Jude found himself in the kitchen preparing a simple sandwich. He was still tired, but he could feel the medicine kicking him into awareness. It didn't lessen the odd ache in his chest, though. Lulu stayed near his ankles as he moved around, meowing her concern every time Jude stumbled. He caught himself easily and gave his cat a quick scratch behind the ears to ease her worry.</p><p>He was fine.</p><p>At least, that was what he told himself.</p><p>He was almost done with the sandwich for Ludger when he heard a loud shout from his shared room. Lulu looked at him before she dashed off to his room, leaving Jude tilting his head in confusion.</p><p>"Ludger-nii?" he called as he finished up in the kitchen, "Are you okay?"</p><p>Instead of a coherent answer, he heard a loud curse accompanied with several thumps. The door suddenly hit the wall as it flew open. Jude watched in silent confusion as his brother stared at him with wide (shocked?) eyes for a few seconds before he practically flew from the room to the bathroom in a blur. Lulu trotted after him and quickly changed her path to Jude, purring against his leg.</p><p>He shook his head as packed up the sandwich. He already knew that Ludger would be floundering around in a couple minutes, so he wandered over to the bookshelf to stay clear. Jude fished out a book about Rieze Maxia (he only gotten it a few weeks back) he read several times already and settled at the dinning table. He didn't look up as Ludger finally popped out of the bathroom.</p><p>"Morning, Juu!" Ludger said, quickly leaning down to give his brother a one armed hug and a chaste kiss on Jude's still messy hair.</p><p>"Good morning," Jude greeted back, but Ludger was already on the move, "Cutting it a bit close, aren't you?"</p><p>"Just a bit…! Have you seen my wallet?" came his brother's voice across the apartment.</p><p>"It's on the windowsill!" Jude got up for a moment to grab the packed breakfast and stood near the door. Ludger scrambled around for a few more things in their room before running to the front door.</p><p>"Here—breakfast!" Jude stuffed it into Ludger's hands, who nodded.</p><p>"Thanks! I'll come back as soon as I can, okay?" Ludger checked his wristwatch for a split second and started to back walk out of the door, "I'llcallyoulater—Bye!"</p><p>With that settled, Jude and Lulu peeked their head out the door to watch Ludger accidentally hit the "up" button instead of the other. Jude couldn't help but sweatdrop.</p><p>"Aaah… Good luck on your exam, Nii-san!"</p><p>For a moment there, Jude doubted that Ludger would make it on time.</p><p>._._._._._.</p><p>Three chapters into his favorite book, Jude found that the apartment was awfully quiet. It wasn't like he made a whole lot of noise, and neither did Lulu, but something wasn't right. Sitting up from his slouch on the couch, Jude slowly looked around.</p><p>Nothing looked out of place, but it felt a lot emptier than it should be. A twinge of fear picked at him. He didn't like being alone—hated it really. Sometimes, in the silence, all he could hear were pained cries and—</p><p>Jude shook his head to clear his thoughts and calm himself. It wouldn't do him any good if he had a panic attack if he really was alone. He didn't want to bother any of his neighbors either.</p><p>"Lulu…? Luluuuu! Come 'ere, girl, "Jude called through the apartment, "Where are you?"</p><p>He checked under the dinning table, behind the couch (even though Lulu was too fat to fit there), his room, Julius's room, the bathroom, and even the cat tower. Yet, no matter where he looked, Lulu wasn't anywhere.</p><p>That was until he looked at the cat flap at the front door. Everything suddenly clicked for Jude.</p><p>"Of course!"</p><p>Without a second thought, Jude grabbed his jacket and pulled it on. He hastily put his shoes on and ran his hands though his bed hair. Took a quick glance at the mirror to make sure he didn't look like he was, as Alvin jokingly said it once, "half dead". His skin seemed a little paler than usual, but Jude chalked it up to the exhaustion that he woke up with. Other than that, he looked fine.</p><p>With a quick nod to himself, he checked if he had his GHS and identification on him before he left the apartment. He easily greeted anyone passing him with a friendly smile as he rushed out of the building.</p><p>He searched the park and looked around for the familiar fur of Lulu, but it was practically empty. Jude had to remind himself that all the kids were in school at this hour, too. He headed over to the Commercial District in hope of getting a better chance there. If he didn't find Lulu soon, then—</p><p>He panicked when his GHS rang. Jude frantically retrieved it and flipped it open. He paled at the incoming call.</p><p>Ludger.</p><p>Jude really didn't want to answer it, but he knew that would be dumb. So, he took a deep breath and finally answered it, "Hi, Ludger-nii!"</p><p><em>"Ju—"</em> Ludger began, but he cut himself off for a moment before sighing heavily. Jude could practically hear his brother rubbing his face. Must had been a bad day so far.</p><p>
  <em>"Jude, where are you?"</em>
</p><p>"E-eh? I'm at home, obviously," Jude lied as he frantically searched for Lulu. If he found her now, then that lie would become a truth very soon.</p><p>"Mutton! Freeeesh mutton!" called a food vendor.</p><p>Jude paled. There was no getting out of this one.</p><p>
  <em>"Jude."</em>
</p><p>"Uhm, I can explain!" Jude spluttered as he gripped his phone a little harder than necessary.</p><p>
  <em>"Juu, you're supposed to be taking a break—not off on your own."</em>
</p><p>Jude didn't really listen to Ludger when he spotted a familiar ball of fur waving a tail in the air. Standing before the cat was a tall, black haired man who wore a black coat. In the man's hands was a box.</p><p>"Ah! Lulu! Sorry, Nii-san! I gotta go!"</p><p>
  <em>"Wha—Ju—!"</em>
</p><p>He hung up and took off, ignoring the odd looks he received from others. Jude snatched up the cat and coddled her in his arms to avoid the sharp claws. Lulu meowed in defiance, but eventually settled in his arms and rubbed her head in his chest.</p><p>"Lulu, don't disappear on me like that!" Jude scolded her, but he gave her an affectionate tap on her nose. At the very least, she was safe. He jolted when he realized that someone stared at him. Jude looked at the man before him and blinked at the pastry in his offered hand. Jude's mouth ran faster than his mind, "Are you trying to make Lulu fatter?"</p><p>The moment the words left, Jude froze and closed his eyes as he mentally berated himself. He really shouldn't have said that.</p><p>Nevertheless, the man answered him, "I thought the cat was hungry. Would you like to have one instead?"</p><p>Jude looked at the dumpling in his hand and blinked. He didn't move to take it as he looked back at the man slight confusion, then at the dumpling, and back again. He did it twice.</p><p>Jude eventually gave the man the straightest face he could manage.</p><p>"They look like you," he stated so bluntly. The man didn't seem to falter at all.</p><p>"Yes, but I am Erston Outway," he seemed to correct Jude.</p><p>That only confused Jude even more than he already was, but he just settled with the strange answer, "If you say so, Mister Erston."</p><p>"Would you still like one?"</p><p>Jude looked at the dumpling, then at Lulu. She mewed and licked her paw, silently giving him a sign that it was fine. The man wouldn't hurt him.</p><p>"Thank you, Mister Erston," Jude said politely as he took the offered pastry.</p><p>"Call me Erston."</p><p>Jude nodded in acknowledgement as he took one bite and paused. A flood of sweet bean and whatever else the dumpling had greeted him pleasantly. "Whoa! What is this?! This tastes so different— It's really good!"</p><p>Erston had a ghost of a smile on his face, "They're Gaius Dumplings sold exclusively at Kanbalar."</p><p>Jude moved the dumpling out of Lulu's reach as he tilted his head, "Kanbalar? Isn't that…"</p><p>"It is in Rieze Maxia, young man," said a new voice. The two turned to see an elderly man dressed in a dark blue overcoat. His greying hair was tied up in a neat ponytail behind him and his dark eyes were framed with a pair of glasses. Jude could easily tell that this old man was stronger than he looked just by how the elderly stood. His back was straight and proper, and there was a twinkle in his eyes that spoke volumes of his wisdom.</p><p>"So, it really is in that other country," Jude reaffirmed with a bright smile. He always loved learning more about Rieze Maxia. If anyone asked him, he wouldn't deny that he always felt a little connection to it. "I've always wanted to see it."</p><p>The elderly man smiled at Jude, "You seem quite knowledgable about it."</p><p>"Kind of? I've read a book about it, but it's not enough. It's just one book," Jude said as he moved to take another bite of the dumpling, only to find his hand empty. He looked down to see Lulu stuffing her face with the said pastry.</p><p>"Lulu…" Jude drawled with a sigh. Well, at least his cat seemed to enjoy the rest of it on his behalf.</p><p>The old man laughed heartily while Erston had that tiny smile on his face again. It seemed to Jude that despite his appearance of being a stern type of person, Erston had a soft spot for something. Might've been the fact that Jude was a teen still.</p><p>Jude tapped at Lulu's nose again and looked up at the men before him.</p><p>"I'm Jude Ellis Kresnik," he introduced himself. Smiling, he held out his hand as a polite gesture Julius had ingrained in him, "It's nice to meet you!"</p><p>The elderly man shook his hand first and seemed to blink in surprise. Jude took note that he was quick to cover up his shock with a friendly smile. It confused him (though it took great effort not to show it), but Jude decided that it wasn't worth thinking about. Not now at least.</p><p>"And I am Rowen J. Ilbert, a traveling companion of Erston's," the man said as he gestured to Erston with his free hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you, too, Mr. Kresnik."</p><p>"Ah—Jude is fine, sir. I'm not really one for last names," Jude said honestly. He released his hand first to adjust his grip on Lulu, who seemed to be getting heavier in his arms.</p><p>"Well, if that's the case, then feel free to call me Rowen," the man said as he placed his hands behind his back. Jude didn't miss the somewhat observant gaze Rowen gave him, and only smiled. "Forgive my curiosity, Jude, but shouldn't you be in school?"</p><p>Jude allowed his genuine confusion slip through as he tilted his head, "School?"</p><p>"I'm not that familiar with Elympios' laws," Erston began as he crossed his arms, "But I was under the impression that children your age should be in school at this hour."</p><p>"Ohh, yeah, about that— I'm homeschooled," Jude answered honestly. He didn't know why he bothered to tell and he knew that he shouldn't be talking to random strangers—especially if they were offering food. Yet, Jude's feet stayed planted on the ground and Lulu hadn't nicked him, so it was probably a good thing. He placed Lulu on the ground and winced as his arms ached a bit. Holding his cat for so long didn't do him any favors. "Today is my day off, though."</p><p>"Homeschooled?" Erston echoed. Jude nodded as Rowen bowed slightly to look at him curiously.</p><p>"For how long, if you don't mind me asking."</p><p>Jude hummed as he looked past them to remember when he actually started, "A while? I never been to a public school to begin with."</p><p>Rowen and Erston definitely shared a look in front of Jude, but the teen couldn't really read it.</p><p>"Well, I've rarely ever heard about children being homeschooled in Elympios," Rowen said, "Then again, we don't know a lot about this country."</p><p>Jude didn't have the chance to say anything as his phone rang again. He froze for a second and paled slightly. He already knew who called him.</p><p>"Uhm… One moment please!"</p><p>Erston held up a hand, "Take your time, Jude."</p><p>With a bit of hesitation, Jude turned away as he pulled the GHS out of his pocket and answered without checking the caller ID, "Hello?"</p><p><em>"Hey, Juu, did you find Lulu?"</em> came Ludger's voice.</p><p>Jude nodded out of habit, "Yeah! She went for a walk. I'm with her though."</p><p><em>"Okay, that's good,"</em> Ludger's voice sounded relieved, but a bit down, <em>"I'm done with my exam and all of the paperwork, so I'll...I'll pick you up."</em></p><p>"That was fast. You know where I am?" Jude looked around to see if he could probably spot Ludger's white hair.</p><p><em>"The mutton man gave you away,"</em> there was a hint of amusement in his voice, <em>"Just stay in one place while you're waiting, okay? No wandering off, please."</em></p><p>Jude huffed a bit and placed a hand on his hip, but he had a smile on his face.</p><p>"Gotcha! I'll stay put. See you!"</p><p>Jude hung up after his brother said his own goodbye. He turned back to the two men waiting patiently for him. "Sorry about that! My brother is going to pick Lulu and I up soon, so I'm gonna stay here for a bit. I don't want to hold you."</p><p>"My, what a polite child you are," Rowen said in amusement, "but don't worry about us. Mind if we wait with you? We're not as busy as you think we are."</p><p>Jude blinked at the kind suggestion, "Oh, I don't mind at all!"</p><p>He gestured to the closest bench, "We can take a seat there."</p><p>Jude gratefully accepted the invitation when his body reminded him that he was tired. At least, his chest didn't hurt as much as before. He sank into the bench with jerky movements and allowed Lulu to jump next to him. She curled against his side and purred for attention. Jude ran his hand through her soft fur while Rowen joined him at the bench and Erston stood next to them.</p><p>"So, you guys are Rieze Maxians?" Jude asked as he looked at the two.</p><p>"Yes, we are," Erston answered with a clear, but blunt voice.</p><p>"What's it like there? Is there a lot of life there? Like trees and flowers?" Jude asked eagerly. He wasn't about to hide his burning curiosity of the other country. In fact, he yearned to go there. Here in Elympios, there wasn't much vegetation, but he could just imagine lands lush with life instead of the somewhat barren lands just outside of Triglyph.</p><p>Rowen laughed, clearly amused with Jude's childish display. "Why, of course! There are several places that have trees and flowers. For example, the Sapstrath Deepwood is full of trees with all sorts of shapes and sizes. There are many the size of buildings."</p><p>"That sounds incredible," Jude breathed, already picturing the trees in his head. He closed his eyes and leaned back with an odd smile on his face, "I'd love to see it with my own eyes one day."</p><p>"What's stopping you?" Erston's voice immediately drew Jude out of his head. He had an answer at the tip of his tonge, but it died the moment he opened his mouth.</p><p>He honestly didn't know what stopped him. He knew his family had the money for one trip outside of Triglyph. Was it because Julius had a job? Was it because Ludger looked after him? Or…was it because of himself?</p><p>He looked up at Erston with a tight smile and finally gave an answer, "I… don't know. I guess my brothers and I just haven't found the right time yet."</p><p>As if on cue, a loud voice called out to him, "Jude!"</p><p>All three (and Lulu) looked to see Ludger jog down the path to them. Jude smiled brightly and waved a hand over his head, "Ludger-nii!"</p><p>He nudged Lulu to follow him and got up to meet his brother in a hug. Lulu mewed and rubbed her head affectionately against his brother's leg. Ludger heaved a heavy sigh of relief as he returned the hug for a moment before they split. He bent at his knees to get a little closer to Jude's height and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Jude—Don't ever leave the house without texting us, okay? Onii-san said that you should be resting today and we were worried."</p><p>"I'm sorry. I'll do my best to that next time," Jude promised sincerely.</p><p>Satisfied with his answer, Ludger nodded and straightened up, facing Rowen and Erston. There was a slightly worried crinkle in his eyebrow as he glanced at Jude.</p><p>Rowen got up and held out a hand to Ludger, "Hello there, young man. I'm Rowen J. Ilbert. The man beside me is Erston Outway. Good to see that Jude has a responsible brother like you."</p><p>Ludger politely shook the man's hand with a nod, "Oh, uhm, thank you. I'm Ludger Will Kresnik. I hope Jude hasn't caused you any trouble."</p><p>"Oh, no, no. He was no trouble at all. In fact, we enjoyed his company," Rowen assured him. Erston stepped up with the box of Gaius Dumplings.</p><p>"If he wants, Jude can have the rest of these dumplings," he offered.</p><p>Jude's eyes lit up, "Really?! But… I have nothing to give in return."</p><p>"It's alright. I have… plenty more of them."</p><p>"Thank you! We'll enjoy these very much!" As Jude took the box in his hands, Lulu immediately waltzed over to him and pawed at his pants, meaning for the treats. Ludger watched Jude in amusement. The teen held the box further way from their cat with a pout on his face, "Nope! No more. You ate mine."</p><p>Ludger faced the two men and politely bowed his head gratitude, "Thank you so much again. I really appreciate it."</p><p>"You boys are such gentlemen," Rowen mused as he placed his hands behind his back again, "Now, take care!"</p><p>Ludger smiled, "You, too."</p><p>With one last grateful nod, Ludger turned away from them and ruffled Jude's hair, "Come on, Juu. Let's go home."</p><p>Jude tossed them a grin their way and waved a hand, "Bye, Rowen! Bye, Erston!"</p><p>As the two set off with Lulu trailing behind them, Ludger took a look at the pastries inside. Jude didn't even have to look at his face to know he was confused.</p><p>"Hey, these look like—"</p><p>"Yeah, I know— I thought the same thing."</p><p>._._._._._.</p><p>Rowen watched the two brothers until they disappeared into the crowd. The smile on his face dropped into thought. It was a very strange meeting, and it completely picked at his curiosity. Not once had he met an Elympion that seemed so out of place before. Jude Ellis Kresnik, at first glance, looked and even felt like everyone in this country; alive, but closed off from the flow of spirits in the air. Yet, when he shook the boy's hand— Rowen had never felt anything like it.</p><p>"That boy… Something doesn't seem right," Erston stated. Rowen hummed as he looked at him.</p><p>"I see you felt it, too, then. That surge of mana isn't normal for anyone at a young age, much less than an Elympian," Rowen observed. If anything, it almost seemed like a young child hardly knowing how to channel their mana correctly. Clearly, Jude was no child, and that worried him a bit. He placed a hand on his chin, "His brother seems to be quite normal, though."</p><p>Erston crossed his arms and his face became even straighter, "Rowen, we'll just have to hope we run into him again. For now, we have a lot of work that needs to be done."</p><p>Despite the theory already building in his mind, Rowen set it aside for now. He nodded in agreement and followed Erston to the nearest inn, "Right. Of course, Erston."</p><p>._._._._._.</p><p>Ludger almost wanted to throw himself right back into bed the minute he got home, but he restrained himself. Now was not the time to wallow in self pity despite the terrible day it had been so far.</p><p>His day had started off with a terrible nightmare. Jude had mutely screamed with terror written on his face as he reached desperately for him. It tore at Ludger to see him so broken and scared. Then, Julius fought him so viscously and managed to rush in to kill him so violently. It was so vivid that it terrified him to the core.</p><p>The moment he woke up, he could've sworn that his mind had played such a nasty trick on him. The relief that washed over him when he saw Jude (tired, and not frantic) in the dinning room was almost overwhelming. Even though he was in a hurry, Ludger made sure to hug his little brother to make sure he was real.</p><p>The dream was heavy in his mind as he went through his exam. It didn't help when Julius gave him a lecture about being timely the minute he got there. Maybe it was because he was so — he didn't know, distracted?— that he failed. But then again, it made no sense. He couldn't just not help a person if they were in danger—even if they were a bad guy.</p><p>To top that off, Jude had left the house completely unaccompanied on a day he should've been resting. Ludger understood why Jude shouldn't be on his own if it came to his health. The teen had a history of fevers, unexplained exhaustion, and a messed up immune system to list a few, but he had improved over the years.</p><p>They didn't have the famed doctor, Derrick Mathis, who could have probably figured out something for Jude if he didn't disappear about twenty years ago. Ludger only knew of the guy through the stories of their neighbors and Julius's vague memories.</p><p>Although, Ludger wasn't sure if even Mathis could help block the voices Jude swore he could hear sometimes.</p><p>His little brother had gone through too much to find something that only marginally worked for him.</p><p>It wasn't a lie that he did worry a little too much for Jude, but he couldn't help it. Sure, Jude had about the same training as him (but he wasn't allowed to practice much out of risk of straining himself) for self-defense only, but he couldn't help it. Julius always emphasized (sometimes a little too forcefully) that brothers always protected each other no matter what happened. He was lucky enough that Jude was perfectly fine when he found him.</p><p>Shaking his head, Ludger reined himself back in before his urge to breakdown won him over. He was already border lining it.</p><p>"So!" Jude began excitedly as he plopped himself on the couch, "How'd it go?"</p><p>Ludger only paid half of his attention as he grabbed a Gaius Dumpling from the box on the table. He hummed in question as he took a bite, blinking at how it tasted. Sweet, but not so much.</p><p>He heard his little brother shift on the couch, "I mean, how'd your exam go?"</p><p>Suddenly, the dumpling didn't taste all that great anymore. Swallowing, Ludger tried to find a way to answer his brother, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything. That test- ugh, just <em>where </em>did he go wrong?</p><p>One glance at Jude told his little brother everything he needed to know.</p><p>"Oh…" Jude sounded just as dejected as Ludger felt. His steps were heavy as Ludger joined his baby brother on the couch and munched on the dumpling in a daze. Instead of saying anything, Jude just sat next to him with an open book on his lap.</p><p>"…At…" Ludger started when he finally finished his dumpling, "…At the very least, I managed to get that job at the train station."</p><p>Jude laughed a little, "At least, you get to do your favorite thing all day: cook."</p><p>"I'm going to have fun all day long," Ludger huffed in amusement. Speaking of the day, he was reminded of the two men, Rowen and Erston. They were pretty unusual, but then again, a lot of unusual people have been showing up ever since the Schism fell. He looked at Jude and crossed his arms and legs, "So, Juu, mind telling me what happened while you were out today?"</p><p>Jude hummed as he closed his book on his thumb, "About that…"</p><p>He easily launched into his tale of how he had found Lulu and his first meeting with Rowen and Erston. Ludger listened carefully and nodded along. Eventually, the older brother settled that the two men weren't as strange as he thought they would be. They seemed like they were really nice Rieze Maxians—despite Erston's stern appearance. If anything, he seemed a little fond of Jude. Ludger took one glance at Jude and easily chalked it up to Erston probably having a soft spot for kids.</p><p>"I… I don't completely understand why our people don't seem to like Rieze Maxians," Jude frowned, "Rowen and Erston were really kind people. Odd at first, but really nice."</p><p>Ludger gave his little brother a pat on the head and rested his hand there, "Well, we both know that the Schism caused a huge uproar. Do you think everything is the same since it happened?"</p><p>Jude shook his head mutely.</p><p>Things had changed very drastically. It was a shock to discover another country on the other side. He didn't really remember what had happened on that day. He only knew about it being all over the news, and bedridden with a fever for a couple days. He could definitely remember how overwhelmed he felt that whole time. No one expected the other country to dump this thing about killing spirits with all their spyrixes. Jude was aware of the theories and process of it working, but when he heard of the richness of Reize Maxia with spirits, his own ideas for an alternate energy source he had became the biggest thing.</p><p>Balan had been working non-stop on the spyrite research. To find out that the spirix had been hurting spirits had thrown Elympios into chaos. It was the only thing that actually pushed his theory of making spyrites to the government with Balan's help. Jude wanted to take part of it, but he wasn't allowed to be involved since he didn't even have a solid education background, and no real credit to his name. Julius was also another reason he wasn't in school to begin with. If anything, he was just glad that the government was willing to go through with the plan and work with the Rieze Maxians. And yet, even when there were people willing to work together, there were groups that wanted nothing else but to ruin it.</p><p>"Well, I get that all of us are mad because we were basically told that we've been killing our world this entire time - it makes sense - but it's not like it was Rieze Maxia's fault," Jude said. Ludger nodded in agreement.</p><p>"You're right—it's not. But you know how people can get—there always has to be someone to blame," he said. Lulu leapt up onto the couch and curled up between them with a mew of content. Ludger gestured at her as he continued, "Or some people can be like Lulu here and not find it within themselves to care."</p><p>Jude laughed a little as he rested against his brother. There was an odd exhaustion pulling at him and it could've been the result of his sudden outing. He ignored it to listen to his brother talk.</p><p>"Besides, I'm sure that some people—from both sides— are thinking the same way you and I are. There's no reason to hate the others for just existing."</p><p>Jude was silent for a little as he let the words sink in. He perked up a bit, "I wonder if there is anything I could do to help others understand that."</p><p>Ludger looked at his brother and noted that Jude looked exhausted. He was probably on the verge of falling asleep then and there. With a bit of a heavy smile, Ludger ran his hand through Jude's hair to coax him to sleep, "I'm sure one day you'll do just that."</p><p>As soon as those words left his lips, Ludger's nightmare flashed through his mind and reminded him of his little brother crying and screaming so damn desperately—</p><p>Ludger shut his eyes and blocked it out.</p><p>No.</p><p>He wouldn't let that happen, even if it seemed so unlikely in their somewhat peaceful life.</p><p>Ludger hummed a tune he knew so well as he continued to just sit there, running his hand through Jude's hair. His little brother's breaths evened out and lured Lulu into a light nap on the couch. Ludger couldn't stop the gentle smile on his face as he silently vowed to protect his brothers - no matter what happened to them.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It was either Ellias or Ellis for Jude's middle name here. Quite literally, either one works perfectly fine.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. A Little Girl?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>ten o'clock</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You knoooow, I never understand why you get to have two pocket watches, and not one," Jude admitted the next day as he watched his older brother at work. Lulu meowed from his arms, pawing at his face, but Jude only fixed his grip on her, "Doesn't Luu and I get one?"</p><p>Julius didn't look up as he tinkered with a pocket watch, "Well you seeee, I'm still trying to make sure they both work. I can't just give my brothers these rickety ones if they're not in working order."</p><p>Ludger walked into the dinning room with a pair of plates of freshly cooked tomato omelettes. He placed one next to Julius, "Naaah, he just likes his watches and isn't willing to share."</p><p>Jude dramatically gasped as he released Lulu and sat at the dinning table, "Nooo."</p><p>"Alright, alright, enough out of you two," Julius sighed as he packed away his tools and Jude and Ludger shared a laugh.</p><p>Despite his younger brothers' antics, Julius smiled at them fondly. He ruffled Jude's hair, and lightly elbowed Ludger's unprotected stomach, "Now, eat your breakfast. Need that energy to get through the day, right?"</p><p>Ludger only gave Julius a look, who sipped at his tea and nudged the tomato omelette towards him. Jude noticed, but said nothing about it as he gave his thanks and ate.</p><p>"Now, Jude," Julius began as he got up to go to the kitchen, "You're going to be home alone again, but you have to promise that you won't leave without letting Ludger know."</p><p>Jude almost grimaced as Julius placed that damn bottle next to Ludger with a tablespoon, "...Can't I just come with one of you? I mean, it does get boring after a whi-"</p><p>"No."</p><p>The response came so suddenly that even Ludger stopped in the middle of pouring a spoonful to look at Julius.</p><p>Julius visibly backtracked and started again in a softer tone, "Sorry, Juu, but you can't come to work with me. It's too dangerous. Plus, today is Ludger's first day on his new job."</p><p>Jude could only look at Julius before humming lightly, "Yeah, I understand."</p><p>With an apologetic smile on his face, Ludger held the spoonful toward him and nodded encouragingly. It only took five seconds to stare at it this time. Still, Jude hated the crazy combination of sweetness and bitterness. At least, Ludger wasn't giving him the "You can't skip out on this" lecture.</p><p>"Right. So, first day on your new job as a chef," Julius said as he placed a hand on his hip. Ludger nodded as he gathered the dishes. Jude excused himself, calling Lulu to feed her.</p><p>As Ludger got up, Julius placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled, "You're going to be a great chef, Luu, so give your best in every meal."</p><p>Ludger couldn't stop the splutter of laughter, "Pfft- sorry. I almost thought you weren't going to give me some weird prep talk thing."</p><p>"Hey- don't laugh," Julius said as he ruffled his little brother's hair, "Besides, I think the cafeteria would love you. After all, Jude and I haven't died yet."</p><p>Something flashed in his eyes as Ludger ducked out of his reach and slipped into the kitchen, "...Right."</p><p>"...Maybe I should get you a gift to celebrate your new job," Julius said after a moment.</p><p>Ludger placed the dishes in the sink and shrugged, "I wouldn't mind having one of those pocket watches of yours."</p><p>Julius came to stand next to him, ready to rinse the first dish, "If you really want a watch, I'll just buy you a new one. Those pocket watches are old junk."</p><p>"Then, why are you trying to fix it instead of throwing them out?" Ludger couldn't help but look at Julius suspiciously. His brother deliberately ignored it.</p><p>"Actually, how does a new tie sound? Gotta look sharp in front of the customers and all that."</p><p>"Ow, Lulu! Ugh, guys, we need to get her some diet kitty food," came Jude's voice, "She's getting waaaay to heavy thanks to a certain someone."</p><p>The two stopped for a second and looked over to see Jude hopping on one foot around the living room with a scowl on his face. They all shared a look and spluttered into laughter. For a moment there, Ludger couldn't help but feel warm and happy.</p><p>Just for a little longer, he wanted to keep this moment and treasure it to the fullest.</p><p>._._._._._.</p><p>
  <em>He was scared. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The rain came down like a wall and they were here. The sounds of gunshots and metal encouraged him to pick up his pace. In his arms was the only hope that he and his brother had left; all of the prayers and dreams that they had wished for so long. The rain soaked them thoroughly, and he hoped that she wouldn't catch a cold. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Where's daddy?!" she wailed as she looked behind him. He didn't answer her as he came to a stop at the dock behind their house. He placed her down and kept his expression calm. She gripped so tightly at his sleeves, "No! Don't leave me, too!" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He placed a finger at her lips as he assured her, "Shhh, shhh, it's alright, we're okay right now." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The crying look on her face said otherwise, but he smiled softly, "I'm just going to get the boat ready, okay? I'll be back in ten seconds, Elle." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He didn't stay long enough for her to answer. He ran into the boat and scanned for anyone on board before jamming the keys into the engine. It hummed to life and he made sure that it stayed in place before he leapt off the boat to join Elle. She clung to him like a magnet when she spotted a group of shadows in the fog.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>With a muffled curse, he wrapped his arms protectively around Elle. He could fight them off— well, at least he could attempt at it— but he didn't have much strength left. There was almost no possible way he could—</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Elle!" called a familiar voice. They both watched in relief as her father appeared first. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Daddy!" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He released Elle and smiled as she ran to her father, who easily swept her off her feet and hugged her dearly. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Elle, it's alright, Daddy's here now," her father assured her. He looked at him with determined eyes, "Juu, we need to do this now." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The girl's uncle, Juu, reached for the brown chain and pulled out a beaten, nearly rusted over bronze watch out of his pocket, "Victor, use mine and give yours to Elle." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Her father, Victor, nodded and pulled out his own watch. He knelt on one knee in front of his frightened daughter, "Elle, you can read clocks now, right?" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Y-yeah, but Daddy—" she wasn't able to finish as Juu placed a warm hand on her head.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"That's our girl!" he encouraged, but it seemed to bring little comfort to her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"But, Uncle Ju—"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Elle, it's alright. We're just going to go on a small trip, okay? I need you to board the ten o'clock train once you get to town, understand? That train will take you to the Land of Canaan. It's a place that grants all wishes," Victor told her. He placed his watch around her like a necklace. Elle looked at him with wide eyes.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"The Land of… Canaan?" she asked them, "J-just me? But what about Daddy and- and Uncle Judie?" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Juu moved to hug her, to comfort her, but shouts in the shadows stopped him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Over there!" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Don't let them escape!" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Juu quickly grabbed Elle's hand and pulled her closer to the edge of the dock while he discretely slipped his worn out watch into Victor's waiting hand. He smiled as he knelt down to her height and wiped some rain off her face, "This is really important to us, Elle. I know you're scared, but we both know you're a brave girl. We'll see each other again when you get to the Land of Canaan. Even your mother will be there." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"But—" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Elle, go ahead." Victor got up and pressed a hand to her cheek before turning away from her. He gave her a brief glance as he prepared to face their enemies, "Daddy and Uncle Judie will be right behind you, okay?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"No, Daddy—" She couldn't finish as Juu picked her up and carried her into the boat. He placed her down on a secure spot and lightly tapped her nose with a smile, a gesture he always did to encourage her. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Remember, don't miss the ten o'clock train!" He embraced her in one last hug as he filled his final words with all the warmth and love he could manage, "We'll be there— I promise." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The sounds of gunshots and metal forced Juu to release his dearest niece. She barely had the time to cry for him as he blocked off her exit and kicked the gear into the fastest setting. He barely managed to make it to the edge of the boat and threw himself toward the dock. He landed, albeit clumsily, and bumped into Victor's back to avoid stray bullets. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Elle! Daddy and Uncle Judie will be right behind you! Don't forget that!" Victor yelled at the top of his lungs as the boat sailed further away. Faintly, they could hear Elle calling for them, and Juu wouldn't lie that it tore at his heart. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Are… are you sure sending her on her own was a smart idea, Luu?" Juu asked through gritted teeth. Exhaustion clawed at him and drained at his remaining strength. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"No—but it's the only hope we have now, Juu," Victor said as he continued to deflect bullets, "Ready?" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Juu wanted to say no; wanted to scream and shout that Victor shouldn't; wanted to say that he was done and just wanted to sleep. Juu wanted to give up right then and there because this wasn't <strong>what he wanted at all</strong>. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>And yet...</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He steeled his nerves and closed his eyes, vigorously burying down his fear and reluctance. He searched for a willing spirit to come and aid him. There was one that fluttered to his side and accepted his offered mana. Once the spirit settled with him, he finally muttered, "Ready." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Victor dropped his arms and stopped defending himself. An icy blue Arte circle appeared under his feet as a thin, yet strong barrier protected him from any stray bullets. It pained him so much to watch his brother take the several bullets that lodged in his body. As Victor fell to the ground, Juu practically wailed at the top of his lungs, "Stop! Stop it! It's over! Don't hurt him anymore! Stop!" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The gunshots ceased and the guns were finally lowered. Head bowed and barrier dispelled, Juu fell to his knees next to Victor's side and his trembling hands hovered over the wounds. The world around him spun dangerously and he could hear tiny voices in the air, but he couldn't make any sense of them. The rain on the dock melded with the red that poured out of Victor's body and he couldn't help but dry heave. It was happening all over again— the day where Juu lost so much. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Damn it— the girl got away," said one of the masked agents. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"That's fine. Our mission to acquire the Key is complete," said another, "We don't need the dead one." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Juu hid his frown with a staggering cough and focused on a hovering presence near him. He reached for the spirit and it latched to him. There was no comfort or assurance from it, only bitter silence. He closed his eyes and clasped his hands in a prayer with a firm whisper, "Spirits, please… be their guide."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The spirit abruptly left him and he wasn't even sure it was even the one he asked for guidance. Maybe the spirit would carry his prayer to the other.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>As the group of men drew closer, Juu dropped his thin, bony hands and breathed a tired, short, gritty fit of laughter. Even to him, his own laughter sounded hysterical, and he was afraid more than anything. He could hear them stop with a moment of confusion. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"The Key…?" Juu rasped, "You think I'm the key?" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He coughed as he reached for Victor's hand and finally lifted his head, "I'm sorry." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Juu felt a surge of a contract forming in his soul, quickly linking together with his brother's fading consciousness. Victor's body suddenly convulsed with a blue light for a second and all of the bullets fell out. Juu stayed seated on the dock as his brother slowly got up, decked in his full power. The masked agents backed away in fear as lightning and thunder clashed above them. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Juu sat there with a soft smile, and his honey golden eyes gleamed sadly in the rain, "I'm sorry you thought that I was the Key." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Then his brother </em>
  <strong>
    <em>moved.</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>._._._._._.</p><p>"I'm heading out, Juu," Ludger said as he slipped his phone into its pouch.</p><p>Jude looked up from the book on his lap as his brother gave him a quick hug, "Alright. Have fun at work, Luu."</p><p>"Remember, call me if you're leaving the house, okay?"</p><p>"Gotcha."</p><p>With that, the youngest Kresnik was left alone in the apartment. Jude yawned, half listening to the TV in front of him. It had been going on an on about this train to commemorate a very big event. It seemed interesting, but he knew that he would probably just hear about it from Ludger. After all, his brother did work there.</p><p>He sat a little straighter and stretched, forcing himself to wake up a bit. The day had only begun and he was already bored.</p><p>Maybe he could play with Lulu or something.</p><p>Then he paused.</p><p>He looked around and noticed something off again. It was too quiet, despite the TV being on.</p><p>Where was Lulu?</p><p>"Ohhhh, not again," he muttered as he got up. He turned off the TV and began to look around, occasionally calling out to the fat cat.</p><p>"Lulu? Luluuuu."</p><p>He searched the apartment, only to stop in his shared bedroom. The silence started to prick at him and he began to regret turning off that TV. He really didn't like being in quiet places for too long.</p><p>His cat was nowhere to be seen, "Where could she have gone-"</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>"Jude..."</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>A sudden jolt rushed through his body and left him stunned. He spun on his heel to look out the window, but nothing was there; just the normal scenery of Trigleph and the sky above. He took a deep breath and shook his head.</p><p>No.</p><p>It was just his imagination playing with him.</p><p>It had to be.</p><p>Yet, the vague sense of insecurity started to creep at him, "Lulu, where are you?"</p><p>Jude rubbed his bare arms and sat on the edge his bed, but he felt something hard underneath his thigh. Confused, Jude got back up and blinked.</p><p>"What the..."</p><p>An oddly familiar bronze pocket watch sat innocently on the sheets. He bit his lip and picked it up cautiously. The metal was cool to the touch and looked a lot like the pair of pocket watches Julius had. Curious, Jude clicked it open, and he was surprised to see the complicated clock face; it was just the same as his brother's. When he realized that he couldn't hear it tick, he held it up to his ear for a few moments.</p><p>It stayed silent. Was it broken?</p><p>He shook it to see if there was any loose parts, but only got the chain link slapping his arm. With a slight frown, he finally read the time. It was frozen fifteen minutes before three.</p><p>He turned the watch over in his hands, looking for the tiny knob to adjust the time. Maybe, he just needed to click that into place to get it working...?</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>"Jude." </strong>
  </em>
</p><p>"Ah!"</p><p>A sudden flash of pain in his head caused him to drop the pocket watch. It was so quick, but he could've sworn he saw glimpses of green and blue.</p><p>And clock gears.</p><p>Giant clock gears.</p><p>When he snapped back into focus, he found himself crumpled to the floor and leaning heavily against his bed. The pocket watch laid a few feet before him, but there was a hairline of a crack on the clock's outer case.</p><p>Jude's body shook as he forced himself to pick it up. He could feel something tugging at the back of his mind, and it grew forceful when he had it in his hands.</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>"-ind her."</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>"What- Aurgh!" His head felt like it wanted to split in half again, and he grabbed a fistful of his hair to try and stop it, "Wha- stop it!"</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>"-de, fi - er... Fin - her!" </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>"No! No, it hurts! Stop it!"</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>"Find her!"</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>Then, as fast as it came, the oppressing weight disappeared. The pain receded and it left Jude gasping desperately for breath. He didn't realize how tightly he held the pocket watch in his hands.</p><p>He looked wildly around, trying to search for the source of that voice, but he couldn't see anyone.</p><p>He sat there for a moment, trying to calm himself down before he really had an attack. Minutes passed and his heartbeat slowed, even the pain that ripped at him almost faded to a dull throb.</p><p>Yet, even though it eased, Jude knew that something was there. He felt it before, many times before, but this was different, and he didn't know what to do anymore.</p><p>He took one look out the window as he tried to recall the words he heard.</p><p>"Find... her...?" he muttered in confusion. There was an odd nudge at the back of his head, almost as if to tell him, 'yes'.</p><p>A sudden urge to leave got him to move.</p><p>He scrambled to his feet and almost fell over from the dizzy spell that accompanied him. Jude silently cursed as he waited for it to pass before dressing down. He clumsily threw on his shirt and pants, and stumbled out of his room. Lulu wasn't anywhere in his line of sight, so he finally settled on the fact that she left again.</p><p>Grabbing his jacket, he slipped into it, stepped into his shoes, and stuffed the bronze pocket watch into his pocket. Jude didn't even realize he left his apartment without his GHS until he was already going down on the elevator. When he looked at his hand, he frowned at the key card and his identification card.</p><p>At least, he remembered to lock the door.</p><p>._._._._._.</p><p>"Ohhh I don't know what to do!" cried a voice. Jude was barely past the outdoor park when he spotted a girl with short hair. She seemed to be dressed as a reporter, with that note pad in her hand and a pen in the other.</p><p>Curious, Jude walked up to her, "Is something the matter?"</p><p>When she turned, her green eyes widened at the sight of him, "Oh! I'm in a bit of a jam - but, you look a little pale. Are you okay?"</p><p>Jude couldn't help the awkward laugh and rubbed at his wrist, a nervous habit he always had, "I'm fine. It's a normal thing."</p><p>The look on her face said that she didn't believe him, so he quickly changed the subject, "What kind of 'jam' are you in? I'm sorry, I couldn't help but overhear."</p><p>The girl's face pinched up with stress, "Oh, you have no idea - See, I got this ticket for the train - you know the new one?"</p><p>Jude blinked, "The ceremonial train?"</p><p>"Yes! That one! I was about to write a story on it, but my boss called me," she suddenly explained, "It's a super duper important task, but I don't want this ticket to go to waste."</p><p>"That does sound a bit troublesome. I don't know how I can help with that," Jude admitted as he shifted his weight from one leg to another.</p><p>"You're probably right..." The girl bit her lip as she stood in thought. Jude watched in silent awe as she face suddenly light up with an idea, "Hey- wait a minute! Here, why don't I give this to you?"</p><p>"Eh?" Jude stared at her blankly.</p><p>"You wouldn't mind getting a free ticket, right?" She looked at him with hope in her eyes, and Jude couldn't find it within himself to refuse her. Plus, there was a insisting nudge at the back of his head. It honestly felt like it told him to "ta<em>ke the </em><strong><em>ticket, please."</em></strong></p><p>So, he shrugged like it was fine, "A train ride doesn't sound too bad."</p><p>"Oh thank you! You're a lifesaver!" She gave him a bright smile as she handed over the ticket, "I'm Leia Rolando, by the way. I'm an aspiring reporter! Who are you?"</p><p>"Jude Ellis Kresnik, a..." He trailed off, unsure what to call himself, "I'm sorry, I don't have an occupation."</p><p>"Ah, it's alright! It's nice to meet you, Jude," she said earnestly, "You look like a local so I'm sure you know where to go!"</p><p>Jude tilted his head with a shy smile, "That obvious, huh?"</p><p>Leia paused for a moment, just to really look at him, then shook her head, "Actually, not really. I thought you were a Rieze Maxian! You look a lot like someone from home, but you seem a little different from others at the same time! Being different is not a bad thing, though! It makes you - well, you!"</p><p>Jude huffed a laugh and bowed head a little, "Thank you..."</p><p>"Hey, I should be thanking you!" She smiled a bright smile again as she turned a bit, "I gotta go, but you helped me out more than you know! Hope to see you around, Jude!"</p><p>"See you, Leia!" Jude called after her. He watched her disappear into the thinning crowd before he took a look at the ticket in his hand. It was a bit of a strange encounter, but he didn't mind. It wasn't everyday that he would talk to others outside of his tiny circle.</p><p>"Meow..."</p><p>Jude blinked and looked down as he felt a familiar weight rub against his legs, "Lulu!"</p><p>He swatted down and ran his free hand through her fur, "Geez, I'm having such a crazy day right now... I even forgot my GHS..."</p><p>"Uncle Judie...?" He heard a faint voice. He turned towards the general direction, only to see another girl (albeit smaller and much younger than Leia) staring at him. Something seemed to click on her face as she suddenly hurried over to him.</p><p>"Uncle Judie!"</p><p>"Eh?" Jude couldn't help but stand up and pointed at himself, "Me?"</p><p>The little girl closed her eyes before she got too close and wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face into his stomach. Jude stumbled out of surprise more than anything, "Hey! E-easy there..."</p><p>When he placed a hand on top of the black beret the girl seemed wear, she froze. Slowly, she looked up at him. He couldn't help but blink at the startling teal in those wide eyes.</p><p>"You're not... Uncle Judie..." she said. She suddenly backed away from him, and Jude couldn't help but notice the golden pocket watch around her neck. That... that couldn't be one of Julius's.</p><p>Was it?</p><p>He shoved the thought to the back of his head and placed his hand on his knees as he bent to her height.</p><p>"I'm sorry, I'm not..." he struggled a bit to remember the name she called him, "your Uncle Judie, but my name is Jude Ellis Kresnik."</p><p>Lulu meowed from his side and proudly flicked her tail. Jude couldn't help but wonder if she actually lead the girl to him, but would be... no, actually he can believe that. Lulu was a lot smarter than she looked. "This kitty here is Lulu. What's your name?"</p><p>"I'm Elle - Elle Mel Marta." The girl stared at him for a second before asking him a question, "Hey, mister, do you know where the train station is?"</p><p>Jude nodded, "I do. Is that where your parents are?"</p><p>Elle shrugged her shoulders and looked away from him, "Not sure. Daddy and my Uncle just told me to take the ten o'clock train..."</p><p>Something in Jude's mind clicked as he took a quick glance at the train ticket in his hand. If he was right, then he was certain that Elle talked about the very same train. He smiled comfortingly at her, "Here, I'll take you there."</p><p>Her eyes lit up, "Really?!"</p><p>"Really. See?" He held up the ticket in his hand, "I have a ticket with me. If you want, I can buy you a ticket and Lulu and I can all go together to find your family. How does that sound?"</p><p>"Sounds great, Jude!"</p><p>With a light laugh, Jude straightened and held a hand for her to take, "Then we should get moving, it won't be long until the train has to leave."</p><p>"Yeah! On the train we go!" She easily latched to his hand, and the persistent nudge in his head completely disappeared.</p><p>._._._._._.</p><p>
  <strong>Skit: Uncle Judie</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Elle: *Stares* Hmmmm... </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Jude: *Shifts a bit* Is... is there something on my face? </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Elle: Nope! You just look a lot like my Uncle.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Jude: Ah, Uncle Judie? He has an interesting name that's for sure. </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Elle: It's because he looks like a girl. </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Jude: Eh?</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Elle: Yeah! He has long hair, and he ties it up sometimes that it looks like your hair. And his eyes are a really pretty gold- just like you, but he's sooo much older than you.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Jude: *tilts head* Are... are you sure your uncle isn't a girl? </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Elle: I thought he was, but he told me he is a man.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Jude: Wait... Elle, you know that I'm a guy, right?</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Elle: You too?!</strong>
</p><p>._._._._._.</p><p>It didn't occur to Jude that he should've gone back to the apartment to grab his GHS until he bought Elle's ticket. He was lucky that there was more than one way to pay for those things. A swipe from an identification card was an easy backup for anyone who couldn't afford a GHS.</p><p>"To the Land of Canaan!" Elle said excitedly as she boarded the train. Jude trailed after her and quickly guided her to the closest empty spots. Lulu took the luxury to sit on his lap.</p><p>"The Land of Canaan?" he asked her once they settled.</p><p>She nodded with enthusiasm, "Yeah! Daddy and Uncle Judie said that if I take this train, then I get to see them there! I can't wait!"</p><p>Jude smiled at her and reached out to give her a pat on the head, something Ludger liked to do every once in a while, but he didn't get the chance.</p><p>A loud explosion outside snapped their attention towards the window. People screamed and smoke covered the entire platform outside.</p><p>"Wha- oh no-" Jude froze for a split second when he could vaguely see the familiar features of one of his brothers, "No! Ludger-nii!"</p><p>Just as sudden as the explosion, he heard someone enter the car and a click. He practically shoved Lulu off his lap (thankfully the cat landed softly on the floor despite her size) and grabbed Elle. He flattened them to the floor as Elle screamed and the gunshots fired. He tried to keep Elle covered as much as possible without crushing her.</p><p>Too much happened all at once: the gunshots stopped, the doors hissed shut, and the train jolted into motion. In his mind, Jude berated himself.</p><p>He really should have turned back to grab his GHS at home.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Our Train Got Hijacked?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>trains</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The moment Ludger made it to the station, something seemed a little off. Maybe it was how one of the security guards looked a little too uptight, or the glimpse of a heavily armed person in some shady corner, or that out of place storage unit that rolled haphazardly near him.</p><p>So, when the force of an explosion threw him off his feet, he knew that he was right. His ears rang and his world was covered with smoke and debris. He rubbed at his head and tried to clear it. When the smoke cleared up a bit, the ringing in his head stopped, and just faintly, he heard a familiar voice.</p><p>"-o! Ludger-nii!"</p><p>The second he recognized it, he swirled his head just in time to see his little brother behind the window of the train. Just in time to watch him grab a little girl and duck out of sight.</p><p>
  <em>Jude.</em>
</p><p>Then there were gunshots.</p><p>Ludger didn't think as he scrambled to his feet. The doors of the train began to shut closed and he slipped in before it could take off. He softened his landing with a summersault and nearly lost his footing at the sudden jerk of motion. He blanched when he caught sight of the train car before him.</p><p>Blood splattered in every direction and bodies - young and old - were still.</p><p>"Oh, please no-" he breathed.</p><p>He quickly recollected himself and his fear for Jude skyrocketed.</p><p>"Meow..."</p><p>Lulu's familiar meow caught Ludger off-guard. He hurried over to the general sound and almost dropped in relief.</p><p>His little brother had curled up on the floor, almost half hidden underneath the bolted seats. Jude's honey eyes stared up at him with wide, disbelieving relief, "Ludger-nii!"</p><p>"Jude! Are you okay?" Ludger said as he helped Jude up. He was almost surprised when Jude uncovered a little from under the seat. She seemed to be out cold, but there wasn't any visible injures at first glance.</p><p>Jude shakily held the girl close to him as he sat up with Ludger's help, "I-I'm okay, but Elle-"</p><p>Ludger placed a hand on the girl's face to double-check that she was just passed out, "She's alright."</p><p>He quickly wrapped his arm around Jude and the girl, Elle, and ran a hand through his brother's hair, "Breathe, Jude, breathe. I'm right here. Easy now..."</p><p>It took a few moments, but Jude's frantic panting eased to steady breaths, "I'm sorry. I... I meant to call you, but I forgot my GHS at home."</p><p>"Forgot your-" Ludger cut himself off, "Jude, that's okay. I'm here and I know exactly where you are. We'll talk about this later, okay?"</p><p>Jude only nodded as his fear stopped choking him with anxiety. It helped that Lulu and Ludger kept close. He looked around and frowned at the moving scenery outside the window, "Luu, what are we going to do- The train's moving and-"</p><p>"Don't worry," Ludger butted in before he could panic again, "I don't know what's going on, but I'm going to get us out of this mess."</p><p>"But how?"</p><p>But how indeed. Ludger didn't have the slightest idea of where to begin. He was saved from saying anything when Elle muttered under her breath.</p><p>"Uncle Judie... Daddy..."</p><p>"It's okay, Elle. I'll bring you home - the both of us."</p><p>Ludger felt proud of his little brother as Jude assured her with soft, yet sure voice. It was rare to see him with other children, and honestly, Ludger hoped that this little girl was a friend of Jude's.</p><p>Well, that was his train of thought until he saw the golden pocket watch around her neck.</p><p>"Hey, isn't that-" Ludger began as he reached for the watch. The moment his fingertips touched the surface, it suddenly vanished.</p><p>Jude craned his neck to look at him with shocked, worried eyes, "I wasn't sure before, but it definitely looked like Julius-nii's."</p><p>Ludger couldn't say anything as Elle began to wake up. He relaxed his bear hug of a grip around them to give her room to wake up.</p><p>"Are you okay?" Ludger asked her gently. She looked at him in confusion, probably trying to figure out when he got there. He was only able to give her a friendly smile when he heard movement behind him, "Get down...!"</p><p>Jude was quick to usher Ell back under the chair and stayed low to the floor with Ludger. Bullets ripped through the fabrics of the seats and dented the metal, and Ludger knew that he had to do something or else they really wouldn't be okay. He placed a comforting hand on Jude's arm, "Stay down, I'm going to disarm them."</p><p>Ludger was grateful that Jude was quick to understand with a single nod. He took a deep breath to ease his buzzing nerves, and shot up the moment the gunshots to turned into empty clicks.</p><p>He jumped over the seats to get closer as his enemy quickly reloaded. They were a pretty bad shot since all of the bullets practically missed him. Ludger wasted no time in launching himself from a nearby seat and drop kicked the gun out of their hands. The second he landed, his enemy had already recovered. He found himself on the defense as he hopped around to avoid a hit.</p><p>He side stepped the flying kick and found himself staring down the barrel of a gun. Crap, he didn't see that coming.</p><p>"That skill- are you an agent?"</p><p>He didn't bother with an answer as he took the opportunity to grab the gun and twist at the wrist. He almost regretted that action as it caused his enemy to pull the trigger. He heard Elle yelp, and Jude call for him, so he used that moment to kick off a chair and flipped behind his enemy.</p><p>She (as he confirmed it with her slim-figure and lean frame) followed up with an elbow toward his face. Ludger ducked again and frowned as he was forced to defend once more. He didn't realized that he left his right side open until she suddenly changed her direction and kicked him. He felt it hit the edge of his ribs and he grunted in pain. He quickly retreated and bit his lip when she aimed her gun at him.</p><p>Again with the damn guns!</p><p>"It's over!" she declared.</p><p>"Not quite!"</p><p>Ludger only had a second to realize that it was Jude's voice. He almost froze as his little brother landed in front of him with a pair of dual blades in his hands. He couldn't even question where in the world those swords came from, or think for that matter. The gun fired multiple shots, and Jude was able to deflect most of them. Thankfully, none of the bullets he missed hit either of them.</p><p>"Damn it!" the woman yelled. Jude huffed in exertion, and it was obvious that he did more than he should've. Ludger leapt into action and quickly took the closest sword. His brother let him, twirling out of the way and gave him the other one as Ludger dashed past him.</p><p>He brandished the swords to reverse the grip and rushed forward. All the training he spent was put into good use as he swung to disarm her. The gun flew out of her hands yet again, but she didn't stop.</p><p>She reached to grab his neck, but recoiled at the slice that drew blood on her arm. Desperate now, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a knife. Ludger didn't think.</p><p>He leapt into the air and landed behind her. He swiftly gave a blow to the back of her neck, effectively knocking her out in the process.</p><p>Ludger didn't relax until he saw Elle and Lulu rushing out of their hiding place to join Jude. He smiled at them, but Jude didn't return it. Confused, Ludger blinked as his little brother took one of the blades and rushed behind him. He spun on his heel just in time to see Jude disarm another enemy with the sword and duck down with a swiping kick.</p><p>The man was fast enough to retreat out of the way, but Jude was faster. He practically dropped his hands to the floor and kicked off the ground with enough force to do a handstand. He used his body's momentum to literally kick the man's face, effectively knocking him off balance. Once the enemy hit the ground unconscious, Jude pushed off the floor and landed back on his feet with a tiny stumble.</p><p>Ludger was quick to support him with hand as Jude huffed to catch his breath. His little brother rubbed painfully at his shin, "Oh man, and here I literally thought I wasn't going to stick that landing."</p><p>"You did amazing, Jude," Ludger praised. He didn't bother to hide the pride he felt for him. For out of practice, that muscle memory Julius ingrained in them practically saved them today... despite the fact that their training was originally meant for monster fighting and emergency defense.</p><p>Elle perked up to say something, but the sudden applause behind them caught their attention. Ludger blinked at the tall, broad shouldered man with a short woman standing next to him. The man seemed to be someone important with that red overcoat and the black suit underneath. The woman next to him looked familiar to Ludger, but he figured that she was a secretary with the serious look on her face.</p><p>"Well, you boys are not too shabby," the man said as he approached them. Ludger stood protectively in front of Jude and Elle, but he tried not to make it too obvious. Elle struggled to carry Lulu in her arms as she stood closer to Jude. Ludger didn't blame her, as that man did look a little intimidating.</p><p>"Your skills and resourcefulness are very impressive, young man," he said as he looked to Ludger, who only nodded in silent thanks. The man's attention turned to Jude, "and you have quite the potential. Are you alright? You're looking a bit pale."</p><p>Jude looked over to Ludger as he answered with a strained smile, "I'm alright, sir. Just... just let me rest a bit and I'll be fine."</p><p>"Who are you?" Ludger asked.</p><p>"I'm Bisley Karcsi Bakur, the CEO of the Spirius Company," the man introduced himself. Jude did a double take while Ludger only blinked in surprise.</p><p>"Wait - as in the actual <em>president</em> of the Spirius?" Jude reiterated in slight disbelief. Bakur nodded to confirm it.</p><p>"The very one. Who are you two?" he asked as he held out a hand to shake.</p><p>"I'm Ludger Will Kresnik," Ludger introduced as he shook Bakur's hand for a moment and gestured to his side, "and this is my little brother Jude."</p><p>Jude eyed Bakur's hand, but didn't take it. Instead, he nodded to the man, "It's nice to meet you."</p><p>"Brothers? You don't look like it," the president admitted bluntly.</p><p>Ludger placed a hand on Jude's shoulder and kept him half hidden behind him, "We get that a lot."</p><p>"You guys are so weird," Elle said.</p><p>Jude regarded her with a teasing smile, "Hey, if you're going to call someone weird, it's definitely Ludger."</p><p>Ludger did a double take, "What?"</p><p>"Kresnik... Are you related to Julius Will Kresnik?" Bakur inquired. The brothers didn't get the chance to answer as the secretary spoke up.</p><p>"It's in the company records, sir. They are the younger brothers of the division leader Julius Will Kresnik," she explained. She flipped her GHS closed, "Although, their parentage is a little complicated. Same mother, but different fathers. Different mothers, same fathers."</p><p>"...Like you said," Jude started, "it's a complicated family thing."</p><p>"Is that so? Well, any family of Julius is part of the Spirius Company's own," Bakur said with a nod. Ludger couldn't help but notice how odd that statement sounded, and it didn't sit right with him.</p><p>He got distracted when he felt the train shift and the scenery around them only got blurrier. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who felt it as Elle grabbed his hand.</p><p>"What was that?"</p><p>"The train- it's speeding up," Jude observed. There was a prick of worry, maybe even fear, but Ludger did his best to ignore it, especially when Bakur's face darkened a bit.</p><p>"It must be Exodus," he assumed with a low voice.</p><p>"Exodus?" echoed Elle in confusion. She placed Lulu back on the ground and looked at him curiously. Ludger knew what Exodus was, even Jude did - and he knew that their situation went from bad to worse in two seconds.</p><p>"They're a terrorist organization that are against the peaceful negotiations with Rieze Maxia and Elympios," the assistant explained.</p><p>Bakur nodded, "The Spirius Company supports the negotiations and we stand in their way of ruining it. I'm afraid that they're planning on running this train directly into Oscore."</p><p>"Wait, that's bad!" Elle exclaimed, and Ludger agreed with her.</p><p>"I have to stop the train."</p><p>"But how?" Elle countered as she tugged on his hand, "What are you gonna do?"</p><p>Ludger couldn't answer her as he looked at Jude. He was about to tell him to stay here while he looked for a way, but the look on his brother's face stopped him. Jude had his eyes closed and head tilted to the side with a finger at his temple. Ludger knew that pose- and usually, it was one that meant that his little brother was calculating something. Jude stayed that way for a moment before he opened his eyes.</p><p>"If we take control of the first car, then we'll be able to manually lower the speed at the control center. At the rate we're going, we have at least..." Jude trailed off as he dropped his hand and did a quick calculation of sorts with his fingers, "twenty minutes before we crash into Oscore - twenty-five would be pushing it."</p><p>"And you know this off the top of your head?" Bakur asked in barely concealed astonishment.</p><p>Jude looked wary as he answered honestly, "I read a few books about trains, and saw the route on the map when I bought a ticket."</p><p>Ludger couldn't help but look at him, "You bought a ticket. Without your GHS. What did you use? Your ID?"</p><p>He frowned a little, "Now isn't the time to be scolding me, Ludger-nii."</p><p>"Right, stay here. Then we'll talk about this <em>after</em> I stop the train," Ludger ordered.</p><p>"But - "</p><p>"After I stop the train." He reinforced it with a shake of his head. He turned to Bakur, ignoring the look of hurt that crossed Jude's face, "Sir, can you watch these two for me, please? I don't want to get them any more involved than they are right now."</p><p>The president nodded, "Of course. Vera, give him an Allium Orb."</p><p>The secretary, Vera, blinked at the order, but did as she was told. She quickly gave Ludger a quick down to the bone explanation of how it worked. Over all, Ludger was glad that it existed.</p><p>"Thank you, Vera," he said with a nod and turned to Jude, "I know you want to come with me, but I'd feel a lot better if you stay here, alright?"</p><p>"...Twenty minutes - less now. That's literally all we have, and be careful, <em>please.</em>"</p><p>His little brother looked resigned and worried, but Jude understood his request.</p><p>"I will." Ludger gave him a reassuring pat on his shoulder before he retrieved the swords and ran out of the car.</p><p>._._._._._.</p><p>Jude stared after his brother. He honestly hoped his calculations were right, because he really didn't want to die today, thanks.</p><p>A hand on his shoulder jolted him out of his thoughts. He looked to see Bakur gesturing to the seats, "Sit down - you look like you could use a rest."</p><p>Jude could do nothing sink down into the seats and Lulu leapt to join him. Elle stood by him, petting his cat to keep her mind off things.</p><p>"Don't worry, Jude," Bakur said as he took a seat across from him, "your brother seems like a capable man."</p><p>A cough caught on Jude's throat and turned away from the others as he fell into a short fit. He was lucky that his jacket already had a spare handkerchief for times like these. Lulu meowed and licked at his face as her way of comforting him. Inside, Jude cringed. He obviously pushed himself a bit too much, but he couldn't afford to let his guard down. Something about Bakur made him feel uneasy to be around that man and he was almost afraid to find out.</p><p>"Are you okay?" Elle asked him. Jude blinked at the look on her face. Why in the world did she look like she was worried and confused?</p><p>He gave her a reassuring smile and folded away his handkerchief, neatly tucking it into his pocket, "I'm o-kay. Really."</p><p>The crack in his voice did not sound convincing, but Elle seemed to take it.</p><p>"Uncle Judie had a cough like that too," she said as Jude's eyes widened, "You should drink some water or tea. That's what he would do."</p><p>"Really...? Okay. I'll do that when I get the chance."</p><p>At the corner of his eye, he saw Bakur's face had an odd expression, but Jude ignored it in favor of Elle, who looked down with a gasp.</p><p>"Ah! My watch is gone!" she exclaimed with wide eyes. Jude knew exactly what happened to it (well, he knew it disappeared but not where it went), but he couldn't say anything that didn't sound like he was crazy. As a result, Elle spun on her heel and ran the same direction Ludger went. Lulu leapt from his lap and ran as fast as her legs could carry her.</p><p>"Oh no - " Jude breathed as he scrambled after her, "Wait! Elle!"</p><p>"Hold it," Bakur spoke up, causing the children to stop at his voice, "It's too dangerous to run around."</p><p>Elle shook her head and dashed off again, "I don't care! It's too important to me! I can't get to Canaan without it!"</p><p>Jude looked to Bakur and took note of how the man's eyes narrowed. He pushed up his sleeves and hurried to follow Elle, "I'll be right behind her."</p><p>He didn't wait for an answer, nor did he want to be around this man any longer.</p><p>._._._._._.</p><p>
  <strong>Skit: I Can Handle It</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Jude: Elle, slow down! I don't want you to hurt yourself.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Elle: *way ahead* You're being to slow!</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Jude: Hey- it's called being careful. </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Bakur: She's certainly full of energy.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Jude: *surprised* You followed us?</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Bakur: We would be terrible adults if we let you kids run off on your own.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Jude: Thanks, but I can handle Elle and I. </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Lulu: *meows*</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Jude: Lulu can, too. </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Vera: *Doubtful* Noted.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Jude: *Trying damn hard not to pout*</strong>
</p><p>._._._._._.</p><p>Jude was able to catch a glimpse of Ludger as he caught up to Elle and Lulu. He scooped up the protesting Lulu, "Alrighty, that's enough bumbling about for you."</p><p>Elle didn't spare him a glance as she ran up the stairs to the engine room (or at least that's what Jude hoped it would be). He followed her at a slower pace, just to make sure he didn't trip with Lulu weighing him down. Maybe he should've just let her walk because his arms started to ache.</p><p>He really needed to get Lulu started on that diet.</p><p>He was right behind Elle as she entered the area before the engine room. He was almost relieved to see his brother there already. Ludger made it in very good time.</p><p>"Ah! Have you seen Daddy's watch?" she asked Ludger while searching the area with her eyes. Jude gave up on carrying Lulu for long and placed her on the ground.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Ludger," he said as he stepped next to Ludger's oddly rigid body, "I couldn't let..."</p><p>Jude couldn't finish that sentence when he finally looked ahead. He paled slightly at the bodies that laid on the floor and the only person who stood above them.</p><p>There, standing at the other side of the train car, was his eldest brother. His heart practically fell to his stomach when he realized that he was in serious trouble now that Julius was here. It was bad enough he left his GHS at home and boarded on a train marked for disaster.</p><p>All out of pure luck, too.</p><p>But... At the same time, Jude took one cursory glance at the bodies again and prayed as hard as he dared in his mind that his brother <em>did not do this</em>.</p><p>"Jude...? You didn't follow Ludger, did you?" Julius asked.</p><p>Jude frowned in confusion as he spotted his brother holding his pocket watches in each hand, "Kind of? It's actually the other way around."</p><p>Ludger took a step closer to Jude, "Julius - "</p><p>Whatever he was about to say was cut off by Bakur, who barged in from behind.</p><p>"Well, well, well, as expected of the Crown Agent Julius," the president began, "You work pretty fast."</p><p>His brother seemed to level the man with a stare that sent a shiver up Jude's spine. It was a rarity to see that look on Julius's face that it made him uncomfortable.</p><p>"Enough with the games, President," Julius replied without missing a beat.</p><p>Bakur walked around Jude to approach him, "Even so, to hide your talented little brothers so well - you really are their big, kind brother."</p><p>Something seemed to snap in Julius as the words sunk in. He equipped the swords Jude knew so well through training and tightened his grip, "It's obvious I would!"</p><p>He suddenly shot forward and slashed that the president's throat.</p><p>Bakur easily dodged it and every other attack that came his way, "Is this okay? Right in front of your brothers?"</p><p>It was obvious that Julius's patience wore thin. He stabbed his swords into the ground and pulled out the pocket watches. Elle gasped when she recognized one of them, "That pocket watch!"</p><p>Jude had to blink when a sudden flash of light blinded him for a second, and gaped when that light turned into a replica of Julius's golden pocket watch around Elle's neck. There was a moment of shock that crossed his older brother's face and caught everyone's attention-</p><p>But Jude's.</p><p>He saw one of the bodies move and pick up the closest gun. His body moved before his mouth ran, "Elle!"</p><p>He grabbed the little girl and covered her with his body, just a gunshot was fired. There was a loud ring as the bullet flew off Ludger's sword.</p><p>"We'll never accept peace with Rieze Maxia!" The Exodus member continued to fire, but their target was the president. Ludger kept deflecting stray bullets and didn't notice one of them heading straight for Julius. The golden watch flew out of the oldest Kresnik's hand and fell toward Elle.</p><p>Jude never noticed it as he released Elle and tugged her to the exit, "We have to go!"</p><p>Ludger only saw the bright light at the corner of his eyes and though nothing of it. He only grabbed Elle's arm and Jude's wrist. Neither boys didn't notice the light that traveled up Ludger's arm until several clock gears accompanied it. Jude could only watch with wide eyes as the light grew so bright that he couldn't see anything.</p><p>He screwed his eyes shut and for a very brief moment, he saw a bleak world with nothing but giant blocks and fragments of clocks.</p><p>A loud scream forced him to open his eyes. He was half sprawled on the floor and had only his hands to keep him from face planting the floor. He looked up and couldn't believe that it was Ludger screaming in midair.</p><p>He looked different. His hair was completely white, and his arms were covered with black. Odd yellow markings seemed etched into Ludger's face. Yet, what really caught Jude's attention was black lance in his hands.</p><p>His brother still screamed as he lifted the lance and threw it, completely impaling the Exodus member into the wall. Jude could barely breathe as the man screamed a bloody murder. The world around him seemed to flicker and streams of black and purple lights were pulled into one spot.</p><p>Jude felt a surge of fear. As the world fell away, he reached a desperate hand to Ludger, but it was pointless. All he could hear was his own voice echoing around him as he began to fall and his sight blurred to an inky black.</p><p>"Ludger-nii!"</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>